


The Adventures of Cinderella and the Glass Slipper

by Cortana



Category: Cinderella (Fairy Tale), Fairy Tail, Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-02-11 05:49:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2056152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cortana/pseuds/Cortana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cinderella is forced to work as a virtual slave to her family, her days filled with never-ending chores starting at dawn and ending well after dusk.  The daily drudgery is made worse by the constant beatings and abuse she has to endure.  Her only friends in the world are rats and other creatures that live in the dark, damp cellar she calls home.  On her 16th birthday, her world is turned upside down when someone she never knew existed appears and gives her a pair of beautiful glass slippers.  Something extraordinary happens when she puts them on, something she never could have expected in her wildest dreams.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Adventures of Cinderella and the Glass Slipper

**Author's Note:**

> This twist on the classic tale of Cinderella was written for the “Writing Twisted Fiction” Facebook group. I have rated this piece “T”, which is suitable for teenagers 13 years and older. Readers should be cautioned it does contain mild coarse language and minor suggestive adult themes. Please note that this piece has not been edited (except by the author) and is not inspired by any other piece of fiction. I hope you enjoy this piece, please let me know what you think in the comments! I am considering continuing it and maybe turning it into a full-length novel – with a twist or three, of course!

“Hurry up, we’re going to be late!”

“Oh, darling, don’t be absurd, we are nobility, and nobility can never be late.” Cinderella made a resigned sigh at the sound of her sisters voices as she scrubbed at the worn living room floor, her aching muscles only adding to her misery. They were walking down the hall from their rooms, their high heeled shoes making them sound like horses, and she knew they would be in a particularly good mood, which was bad news for her. Most days they ignored her, pretending she didn’t exist or was a particularly ugly piece of furniture but today, on the eve of the grand ball in honour of the Prince, they had been especially mean towards her. Even Mother, who was also going to the ball, had been worse than usual, like this morning when she had beat her backside raw for scorching an egg she was cooking for breakfast.

Exactly why they were so horrible to her all the time she didn’t know. The only person who was nice to her and cared about her was Father, but he was so weak from his illness that he rarely had the energy to speak. Lately he hadn’t even been able to eat, vomiting up everything he tried to keep down. A tear slid down her cheek as she realized he didn’t have long to live. All those long nights she had spent holding his hand and praying for God to save him had been for nothing. ‘Prayer doesn’t work,’ she grumbled to herself as she heard her sisters approaching and redoubled her efforts to try and avoid their wrath.

“Where is Mother? Is she ready?”

“She’s still fussing with her hair, I told her it was hopeless, but you know her, she thinks she can hide her gray hair and make herself look younger.” Their sniggering stopped abruptly as Cinderella heard them walk through the doorway and stop.

“What is that doing in the living room?” As usual, she ignored the comment, knowing that a reply was no good and might earn her a beating for her troubles.

“Pretending to work, as usual.”

“Oh, is that what its doing? Why can’t it pretend to work somewhere where we don’t have to see it?” Water squeezed out of the dirty rag she was using to clean the floor with as her hand clenched it tightly. Her sisters only called her ‘it’ when they were really trying to get under her skin and today it was working. She knew she didn’t amount to much in the world, but she was still a person, even if she had to clean out the chamber pots every day and wait on the household hand and foot. 

“Are you listening to me? We told you to get out of here! Move!” Pain exploded across her back as one of them gave her a brutal lash with a riding crop. She gasped as she stood up as quickly as she could, hoping obedience would spare her from more pain. 

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled as she quickly sopped up the water, put her rag in her bucket and walked around them, her head down to avoid looking at them. Suddenly she caught sight of their dresses and paused, her eyes blinking in surprise as she marveled at how elaborate they were and how expensive they must have been. The soft, luxurious fabric looked like it was made of the finest silk and practically glistened in the light. Diamonds, gold and other stunning gemstones decorated the sleeves and collars of their dresses, and swirled around the hems. 

“Oh, do you see something you like?” Their chubby faces sneered at her as they swirled, the thick rolls of fat that clung to them like giant earthworms jiggling and quivering as the gorgeous dresses shimmered and sparkled in the light. 

“Y-y-yes, you both look very pretty.” Her heart leaped into her throat as their eyes bulged, their mouths instantly firm small, firm lines as she realized she had said something wrong. ‘What did I say?’ she wondered in growing dread as they exchanged scandalized looks with each other.

“Did that little gutter rat just call us pretty?” one of them spat as Cinderella stepped around them, trying to hurry out of the way before they could hit her.

“I think she did, maybe she’s too stupid to know that the proper word to describe women of our status is beautiful, gorgeous or stunning. ‘Pretty’ is a word for little girls.”

“But she is a little girl.” She paused as they noticed Cinderella had slipped out of the room and was walking towards the kitchen, doing her best to ignore them. “Hey, where did you go? We were talking to you! Get back here!” She closed her eyes as their heavy footsteps thudded towards the kitchen, causing the entire floor to vibrate under their weight and an icy fist gripped her stomach. A sob wracked her body, her bladder feeling weak as they burst into the kitchen, their riding crops whistling through the air.

“Ouch, oh, please stop, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, you are both beautiful, you look amazing and, ouch! You look stunning in your dresses, they are so pretty and I am so jealous!” Words poured out of her as she huddled over, both of them using her scarred back as target practice as pain surged through her. Tears were streamed down her cheeks as she huddled on the floor, sobs wracking her body when they finally stopped beating her and stood over her in triumph.

“What is going on here?” Cinderella curled into a tighter ball at the sound of Mother’s voice as footsteps announced her arrival into the kitchen, her mouth clenched as she waited for the next blow.

“Oh Mother, thank heavens you are here!” One of her sisters cried out in a falsely sweet, innocent voice, replacing the insulting, demeaning tone that had been there a moment ago. Mother knew it was an act, but that didn’t seem to matter to her. 

“Cinderella just insulted us, didn’t she?”

“Yes she did, she said she hated our dresses and thought we were fat and ugly and it was so … so hurtful, so mean, we were just showing her how much words like that hurt.” ‘That’s not true! That’s not true!’ Cinderella thought, wishing Mother would, just this one time, listen to the truth. Her fists clenched at the filthy, torn rags she was wearing as she tensed, waiting for the blows to keep raining down on her. 

“Well, fine, go on and get into the carriage then, we are already late.” They tittered as they turned and left the room, the chauffer’s low voice greeting them as they started thudding down the protesting stairs. “As for you, get up!” Reluctantly she got to her feet, not daring to look up as she practically felt Mother’s rage radiating from her like the heat from a large fire. “You know better than to talk to your sisters like that, I’m very ashamed of you. Not that I should expect better. Now, while we are gone you are to finish your chores, when I get back I want the kitchen cleaned and the …”

Cinderella felt her head nodding as Mother reeled off a long list of chores that would keep her working long past midnight. Finally she turned and left, the door slamming behind them as quiet descended over the house, a blissful peace that meant more to her than all the dresses and diamonds in the world. She hummed as she started cleaning the kitchen, imagining what the grand ballroom of the King’s Palace would look like. 

She had never been allowed to leave the house or the grounds, except on very rare occasions to do a chore at a neighbor’s house. Exactly what a palace looked like she could only imagine. The cover of one of Mother’s books had a massive stone building with towers that looked impossibly high. She hadn’t dared opening it, though, knowing what her wrath would be if she broke it or, even worse, smudged it. Usually they only allowed her into their private rooms to clean under supervision, which just meant they spent the entire time insulting her and looking for any excuse to hurt her.

A merry tune burst from her mouth as she danced around the handle of the mop, imagining it was a handsome, charming Prince like the one her sisters constantly talked about. In her dreams, they would live in his castle, where she could wear fancy clothes and never have to clean or cook or do any chores ever again. Just like the sisters constantly talked about, they would fall in love and have babies and grow old together. ‘We could see the world together,’ she thought, growing dizzy at she imagined them traveling to exotic, exciting new lands and exploring the world.

Her body sagged in despair as she came back to her senses and realized that was never going to happen. She was never going to leave this place and live with the Prince and live happily ever after. Instead she was going to be forced to live here, waiting on Mother and her sisters hand and foot and die an old, lonely, miserable hag. Suddenly it was all too much to think about and she dropped the heavy bucket, dirty water cascading across the floor as she dashed down the old, rickety stairs to the cellar, which she shared with the rats and other creatures who were her only friends in the world.

The cold, damp dirt floor and the steady dripping sound of water just added to the desperation and despair she was feeling as she threw herself onto her small pile of tattered blankets and started weeping uncontrollably. Sadness crashed through her in waves as she realized she was going to be trapped here for the rest of her life, forced to work and work and work and never have any fun and never go to balls or do anything exciting. There was nothing for her to live for, nothing for her to hope for. Her entire existence could be summarized by the low, dismal cellar she was forced to sleep in.

A squeaking sound made her turn over on the sheets as she saw three small, black shapes moving towards her through the dark, gloomy room. The only light came from cracks in the stone wall that supported the house and from the small coal fire in her room. Her eyes had long since grown used to the dark, making her sometimes feel more like one of the creatures that she shared the cellar with than a person. 

“It’s OK, it’s OK, come here,” she murmured in a soft, coaxing voice as she held out a hand and rubbed her fingers together as the black shapes slowly crept closer. 

Dozens of rats lived in the house, most of them large, brutish things that ate everything in sight and didn’t even flinch as she approached. The ones that lived in the cellar, on the other hand, were smaller and gentler, often curling up and sleeping with her during the night. One of them even let her stroke it, running her hands over its soft fur like it was a pet. Despite their insistent whining, her sisters had yet to convince Mother to allow them to get a pet, which meant she had something they didn’t.  
“There we go, that’s nice, isn’t it?” Cinderella cooed in a soft voice as she ran a hand over its soft, black fur as the rat’s nose twitched, its coal black eyes seeming to stare directly into hers. ‘What are you trying to tell me?’ she wondered as she stared back, as she so often did, what little light there was in her room reflecting off its mirror-like eyes. 

She sighed as she leaned back on her dirty, stinking blankets, gently running her hand down its body as she wondered where her sisters were right now. For a moment, she let her mind imagine her dressed in one of their gorgeous gowns studded with diamonds and jewels, her filthy body scrubbed until she was positively glowing. Right now they were probably at the ball, descending from the family’s expensively decorated carriage as fawning, adoring crowds surrounded them. Another tear slipped down her cheek as she imagined herself walking up the steps into the Royal Palace, along with hundreds of others about to spend the evening dancing, partying and eating, instead of scrubbing floors.

“Don’t cry, Cinderella, all is going to be well.” Her heart thumped in her chest as her head whipped up, jerking back and forth as she tried to identify where the strange voice had come from. There was nobody else in her cellar besides her and the rats, she was sure of that. The rat she had been petting, the one that was friendliest with her and usually slept with her, was walking away from her, its small, stunted tail waggling back and forth. “Your future will be bright, brighter than you have ever dreamed it will be.” ‘There it is again!’ she thought, her heart rising into her throat as she stared wildly around the room.

“Who ... who are you?” she asked in a small, trembling voice as she drew the filthy blankets around her body, her breath coming in short bursts. Fear gripped her, a more intense fear than she had ever felt, as she squinted through the dark, desperately trying to find the source of the voice. She gasped as the large rat turned, blinked once at her and suddenly transformed before her eyes, a tinkling sound filling the air.

“Don't be scared, child, I am not here to hurt you.” A short woman was sitting cross-legged on the floor where the rat had been, smiling at her as Cinderella gaped, astonished at what had just happened. Strange robes of stunning colours and patterns that she had never seen before were wrapped around her body. “I am here to help you; I am here to give you a gift, one that will change your life and your destiny.”

“But … who are you, and how did you get here?” Slowly she started breathing again as the calming voice of the kindly women soothed her, the shock wearing off, replaced by more questions than her mind seemed capable of holding, like a cup that had been filled with too much water.

“I, my dear, am your Godmother. I have been looking after you all your life, watching over you and keeping you alive. And now I am here to give you a gift, one that will change your life.”

“You've been a rat, down here, all this time? Why … but ...” She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to sort through the erratic thoughts in her mind as she sat up, shivering slightly as the thin blankets dropped away from her onto the floor.

“Yes, and I … my powers were strong enough to keep you alive, but not entirely safe. On your 16th birthday, which is today – oh, and Happy Birthday, my dear – I was instructed to reveal myself and give you a gift that will allow you to fulfill your destiny. What your Stepmother and your Stepsisters have done to you is wrong, so terribly, terribly wrong and I wasn't able to ...” Sobs started wracking her body, large tears slipping down her rosy cheeks as she buried her head in her hands.

“It's OK, it's OK,” Cinderella said in a soothing tone as she crawled over the muddy ground and wrapped her arms around the kindly women sitting on the floor, pulling her round body towards hers. “I'm sure you did the best you could, I'm sure you helped me more than I will ever know.” A small part of her mind was wondering exactly what this strange women had done to protect her, but she drove that thought away as she consoled her, her heart breaking as the sobs continued. Like a thunderclap, she pulled away suddenly, frowning as something she had said flashed into her mind.

“You said Mother was my Stepmother.” The women nodded, almost knocking her patchwork cap off her of her thick, pitch black hair. “What is a Stepmother?”

“Oh, you poor thing, you've never been to school!” More tears welled in her eyes and her mouth quivered for a moment as Cinderella stared at her. Her sisters went to school everyday, except for the Lord's Day, when they went to something called Church and studied a book, leaving her along to face Mother's wrath. “That woman is not your Mother, my dear, and those two ugly ducklings are only your half-sisters. You see, your real Mother, your birth Mother, died of the plague shortly after she gave birth to you and your Father married your Stepmother and had your Stepsisters.”

“So did Mother ask you … but … are you my Grandmother?” The only one in the family who had shown her the smallest bit of kindness besides Father was Grandmother, a kindly old woman who only came by the house to visit Father. Mother and her sisters hated her and called her horrible names like a witch and a hag. Her face looked different, especially her large, twinkling eyes, but it had been many years since she had last seen her and she had been much younger then.

“No dear, you have met your Grandmother, although not as much as you should have. I am your Godmother. Your Mother's dying wish was for someone to take care of you, for someone to love you for all time and watch over you. I was a mere rat then, as you see me, but she gave me some powers and turned me into, well, this.” Small bells tinkled as she stood and raised her arms, grunting in pain as her head struck the short ceiling. Words in a language she had never heard before poured from her mouth as she rubbed at her head, glaring at the ceiling as if it were an enemy.

“And what sort of powers do you have? Have you ever used them?” Her cheerful face crumbled at the comment, her body bent over almost double in the low cellar.

“I don't entirely know, your Mother died before she could tell me everything. I've been trying to learn them over the years, I went away for a time and tried to learn from others, but we all have different powers, you see. I seem to be able to take on this body only sometimes, only when it is needed. Like now, for instance. I have been able to stop you from being beaten too much before, but I, I haven't able to do much more.” Tears welled in the corner of her soft, brown eyes, her lower lip trembling as she looked down at the muddy floor.

“What is this gift you have for me?” It seemed rude to ask about something so trivial when the kind old woman was so upset, but she couldn't help herself. She had never received a gift before and she was quivering with excitement over what it might be.

“Ah, yes, that.” She paused and frowned for a moment, scratching her long, slightly hooked nose as she patted a small, leather bag slung around her shoulder, which was half-buried in the loose folds of her dress. “Let's go outside, dear child, and get out of this horrid room. It’s such a beautiful evening, let’s go to the garden and see if these powers actually work.” 'This doesn't sound very safe,' she thought as the oddly-dressed women turned and walked towards the rickety stairs, her shoes squelching in the mud. She dutifully followed, the other rats disappearing into their dens in the corners as they climbed the stairs.

Excitement coursed through Cinderella as she followed the short woman through the house, watching her robes swish and glide over the floor as she walked. She whistled a merry tune as bells, which seemed to be sewn into her dress, tinkled and chimed. A rush of different feelings was surging through her, above all hope that her life would change, along with a long list of questions about this strange woman.

“Are you magical, like a witch?” The question burst out of her before she could stop herself. Her Godmother’s smile faded slightly as she paused at the door and looked at her.

“I believe I am, my dear, I believe I am. There is a lot I don’t know about myself. Come now, you mustn’t be late to the ball!” Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered she was going to the ball. It seemed impossible she was actually going to the Palace since they hardly ever let her out of the house. What would it look like? What would she say to all the other guests? Would her sisters torment her? Suddenly she felt sick as her stomach twisted into an anxious knot. “Well? Come along child, let’s get you all ready.” She blinked as she realized she was standing at the top of the stairs, staring at nothing.

“I can’t go to a ball like this,” she started to say as she stepped onto the path at the bottom of the stairs, which lead through the gardens to the road just beyond. A crushing despair swept through her as she looked down at her tattered, filthy rags and the dirt that covered most of her arms and legs.

“Of course you can’t, my dear. Now, stop fidgeting and let me have a look at you.” She blinked through the last rays of sunset as her Godmother walked around her, examining her with a mixture of disgust and sympathy. “You are a beauty, my dear, truly a treasure, but you are hidden. Let us get you into something that will show your inner beauty to your Prince Charming. Now, what I need you to do is close your eyes and spin in a circle. In your mind, picture what you want to wear to the ball, imagine something beautiful and elegant, a dress that you’ve always dreamed of wearing.”

She nodded and frowned as she thought of the dresses her Stepsisters had been wearing, and how delicate and gorgeous they had been. It seemed strange to imagine something so elaborate and luxurious when all she wanted most days was a small bite of the cheese or bread everyone else ate, instead of the hard, lumpy gruel she ate, or a chance to sleep, just for a night, in a real bed instead of in a pile of rags. With a deep breath of air to steady her nerves she closed her eyes and obeyed the instructions, spinning faster and faster as her mind started stitching and sewing beautiful fabrics together, encrusted them with jewels from far-flung areas of the world, like she had seen on the maps Mother kept in her room.

“There, that’s better, you can stop spinning now.” Cinderella frowned as she came to a stop, wondering why she suddenly felt heavier and why her arms and legs were no longer bare. She opened her eyes and gasped as she looked down. Just as the short, odd women standing in front of her had promised, she had been transformed from the patched, disgusting clothes she had been wearing. Jewels set in small silver and gold flowers marched down the seams of a billowing light blue sea of silk, ending at a delicate patterned hem of the finest lace she had ever seen inlaid with even more diamonds.

“Look, my dear child, you have been transformed.” ‘Is that me?’ she wondered as she accepted the offered mirror and blinked at the reflection staring back at her. The dirt and cuts on her face was gone and her dirty hair scrubbed until it practically shone in the light, hanging passed her shoulders in great golden waves. Gently she touched her face, pressing her cherry lips together as she felt something sticky on them. More diamonds burst from earrings hanging from each ear and a delicate pearl necklace hung from her neck, a magnificent silver rose hanging against her neck, a huge ruby crowning it. 

“I … I look … I look amazing, but how, what …” Her Godmother just smiled as she looked down at a polished piece of wood in her hands and nodded, as if amazed at the feat.

“Well, I am certainly glad that worked, these powers are more than I had thought they were when …” she paused and frowned for a moment before shaking her head. “Never mind that, now, you need to get to this ball, you certainly can’t walk all that way. Let’s see, this and these shall do. Come along!” A huge, ripe pumpkin floated out of the garden, its stalk perfectly severed, along with four miniature horse statues as she turned and began briskly walking along the path to the road. As if in a dream, Cinderella followed her, suddenly realizing she was wearing high-heeled shoes as she nearly stumbled over a cobble.

“Did you … did you make that?” A stunning carriage was waiting on the road, the pumpkin enlarged and resplendent in solid gold with four white horses standing in front, tossing back their heads and whinnying impatiently. It was all suddenly too much for her to cope with, her life was changing so quickly she could hardly keep up with everything that was happening.

“Not made child, I … I transformed them. Yes, I think that is the word. Now, get inside, come on now, you are going to be late. Oh, and take these.” Stairs had mysteriously appeared from the bottom of the carriage, ornate silver swirls inlaid into dark wood. Nothing appeared to attach them to one another, but it seemed solid as she gently put her foot on the bottom one. Cinderella paused as she looked at the leather pouch, frowning at it as she remembered the promise of a gift.

“What is it? Is that the gift?” The bag was light, like it was empty, but a bulge at the sides meant there was definitely something inside it.

“Yes, my dear, this little present is going to change your life. You can open it and have a look, if you like.” Her hands shook slightly as she undid the clasp, excitement surging through her as she gently lifted out a pair of delicate, fragile glass slippers. They were perfectly smooth, like they were carved from a solid piece of glass and thin, as if they might fall apart if she squeezed them too hard. In every way, they were perfect, without even the smallest flaw she could see.

“They are so beautiful,” she whispered as she turned them over in her hand, running a finger along the smooth glass underside. “Can I put them on?”

“Not yet, my dear, not yet. These shoes are going to take you to your Prince Charming, they will help you achieve all those things you've ever dreamed of, they will give you everything you have ever wanted. They will, well, I don't exactly know what will happen when you put them on, all that I know is they will make your dreams come true. When the carriage approaches the Palace you may put them on, but not before. Do you understand me?” Slowly she nodded as she tried to understand the instructions.

“What will happen when I put them on?”

“I do not entirely know, my child, but I believe the experience with these shoes is different for everybody that wears them. When you are back from the ball, I will tell you all that I know. But now you must leave, you must attend the ball and seek out your future. Now go, child, when you are back we will talk. Go, you must go!” Excitement surged through her as she bounded up the steps, her heart fluttering as she imagined herself in the glass slippers sweeping across the ballroom, her arms draped around the strong, tall, dashing Prince Charming.

The horses immediately started moving as soon as she sat down on the plush seat at the back of the carriage, the door closing as they started rolling over the smooth cobbled streets. Cinderella looked out the window with wide eyes, taking in everything she could see as the carriage hurtled down the streets, going faster than she dared possible. The houses became larger, turning into small palaces as they approached the Royal Palace, which was festooned with thousands of brightly coloured streamers and candles, which made the towering, stone walls even more impressive. 

'Oh, the slippers!' she thought as she looked down at the delicate glass slippers, which she was carefully cradling in her hands, cushioned by her billowing dress. They seemed too small for her feet and too fragile, like they would break under her weight and hurt her feet. Her Godmother's voice, instructing her to wear the slippers, filled her head as she gently lay them on the floor of the carriage. She examined the beautiful dress for a moment, marveling at the diamonds and other jewels encrusting it before setting them aside and slipping her feet into the slippers, which grew and expanded to perfect fit her feet.

Like she was in a dream, she stood and looked down at her feet, visible through the slippers. Somehow they didn't break and they were comfortable, like they were lined with invisible padding. She took a small step, and then another, astonished as the seemingly inflexible glass bent and conformed to her feet, like shoes were supposed to. The observation vanished as a strange, tinkling sound filled the air, a bright light surrounding her as her body felt light and airy, like she was flying. 

'What's happening?' she wondered as her heart thundered in her chest, which had grown tight, making it hard to breathe, as new noises and smells assaulted her senses. Her eyes blinked rapidly, clearing the spots that filled them as she raised one of her hands, which was covered with a long, fine white glove and looked around, feeling small and alone as her eyes focused on her new surroundings.

“Hey, watch it!” Someone brushed past her as she looked around and realized people were streaming by her in both directions, hundreds and hundreds of people, all dressed in a bizarre array of clothing. Her mouth gaped in astonishment as she noticed strange pieces of string extending to their ears and odd little devices held in their hands. Surrounding her were buildings of a type and height she had never seen before. They seemed to be made of mortar and huge panes of perfectly flat glass and soared high into the air, higher than seemed possible, higher than even birds could fly.

Odd-looking metal carriages of all shapes and sizes raced by, seemingly without any horses pulling them, as she continued circling, looking at the wondrous and terrifying sights that surrounded her. Huge boards with bright lights dancing across them, brighter than any candle she had ever seen, were high above her, words and images flashing across them. She shivered suddenly as the collection of new shapes and images crashed through her mind, overwhelming her senses and making her feel lost and alone.

“Excuse me, are you lost?” A young women dressed in short, revealing clothes asked, removing the strings from her ears as she looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“I … I don't know, I … I ...” Cinderella could only shake her head, completely lost for words.

“Are you looking for something?”

“I'm … I'm not sure where I am or what's going on, one moment I was in the carriage at the Royal Palace, and then I put on the slippers and now I'm here and ...” her voice trailed off as a laugh burst from the woman's lips, which she quickly stifled with a hand pressed against her mouth.

“Sorry, you just, well, look like someone out of a fairy tale. I mean, that dress, that's way beyond retro. Where'd you get that from, anyways?” Cinderella looked down as her mind raced, trying to think of an explanation. Explaining that her Godmother, who had turned into a person from a rat, had made it appear from nowhere when her eyes were closed seemed ridiculous, but it was the truth. “Well, never mind, do you need help?”

“I … I'm not sure, I'm ...” Tears started pouring from her eyes as she struggled to come up with an answer, the events of the day suddenly too much for her to bear.

“Are those real?” Another stranger had stopped and was looking down at her, his beady eyes focused on her dress. “'Cause they look like diamonds, but they gotta be fakes, right?”

“Alright folks, what's going on here?” The two strangers looked up quickly as another approached, dressed in black with various objects hanging from his waist. Another was right behind him, a hand pressed to his ear as he adjusted the cap on his head. His eyes traveled down her dress, his frown deepening as he put his hands on his waist and looked at her. “Who are you?”  
“We're, umm, not sure Officer, she just appeared and doesn't seem to know where she is,” the young women said as she gave Cinderella a concerned look.

“What's your name?” He asked her in a no-nonsense tone that sent a shudder down her spine. She gulped, trying to swallow the fear building within her before she replied in a low voice.

“I'm, umm, I'm Cinderella.” Both men laughed as other strangers started huddling around her, muttering to one another as a few of them raised small, strangely coloured devices at her. Taking a step backwards would have put her in the path of the horseless carriages, and she didn't think they would be able to stop very fast at the speeds they were going.

“Yeah, nice one honey. What's your real name?”

“That … that is my name, I ...”

“Lemme guess, you were on the way to meet Prince Charming at the fucking Palace in a carriage that your, uhh, what was it, Godmother made from a fucking pumpkin?” The other man dressed in black, who the female stranger had called an Officer, asked with a grin. He was younger than the first Officer, who had turned to stare at him, skinnier and taller and seemed more kindly. “It's my kid's favourite fairy tale, OK? I know the damned thing by heart.” She bent her head and nodded stiffly as tears streamed down her cheeks, which she mopped at with her gloved hands.

“OK, this is weird,” the first officer muttered as he looked at the strangers and back at her. “And she doesn't know where she is?” The young woman shook her head, her fingers tapping at a small, rectangular piece of glass in her hand. “Alright honey, why don't we take you down to the station and get you sorted out? Car's just around the corner.” His large, strong hand grasped her left arm as he started pulling her through the crowd, which parted for the Officers like water around a rock as she turned back and gave the frowning, confused strangers a small wave, knowing she would never see them again.

“So, are we charging her? Or just taking her back to the station?” The younger Officer asked as they turned a corner onto another street. Several huge metal carriages roared by, making a loud sound that hurt her ears as she stared at large images painted on the side. One looked like a huge loaf of bread, except it was pure white and shaped like a rectangle, not like the oval loaves she baked in the oven from coarse, brown flour. Another had a container with what looked like food inside it, something creamy and white that looked like a heavy cream.

“No, just taking her back to figure out what the hell's going on, might need to get CPS, could be a kidnapping or something,” the older Officer said as he stopped beside a white carriage with blue stripes running along the smooth metal. A beeping sound caused her to jump as he opened the door and looked at her. “Alright, we're going to take you back to the station and figure out what's going on, OK?”

“Am I … am I in trouble?” All the people walking by seemed to give the Officers concerned, wary looks and she didn't like the way they kept putting their hands on the black items strapped to their waist. They reminded her of the village guard, except they wore armour and had swords attached to their waists.

“Don't worry, you're not being charged with anything,” the other, kindlier Officer said as he put a hand on her shoulder. “We're going to help you, back at the station we can try and contact your parents or guardians and help you, alright? That's what you want, right?”

“I just want to go home,” she whimpered, blinking furiously as she tried to hold back her tears.

“And that's what we want. Why don't you get in the back of the car and we'll take you to the station, it's only a few blocks away.” She nodded, gathering her dress together as she ducked inside the carriage and onto a comfortable, padded seat in the back. 'They must be very rich,' she realized as she ran a gloved hand over the fabric and frowned at the row of thick metal bars between her and the seats in the front of the carriage. It jolted as the Officers got inside, the older one inserting a small metal object that looked like a pendant into a small slot and twisted it. Something at the front of the carriage roared as he pulled on a metal stick and twisted a large wheel, the carriage moving more quickly than seemed possible as they joined the other carriages racing by.

“Might as well get the case set up, Sarge'll want us back out on patrol.”

“Yeah, night's gonna heat up pretty quick. Fucking Friday.” They both laughed as the younger man opened the strange metal contraption attached to the front of the carriage, tapping his fingers over a small, black pieces that clicked. Cinderella leaned forward, fascinated as she watched the colourful pictures on the screen, words crawling across the screen as he continued working. None of it was like anything she had ever seen before and none of it made any sense to her. A hundred questions raced through her mind and it was all she could do to press her mouth together and stay quiet.

She leaned back on the seat, sighing as she looked out the window at all the strange sights passed by outside. The carriage was going so fast it made her stomach churn, but she was determined to stay brave and not be sick. Wherever she was, whatever strange land she was currently traveling through, her Godmother had intended for this to happen, which surely meant all was going to end well. 'Maybe I'll meet Prince Charming at whatever this station is,' she thought as the carriage turned sharply and sped even faster down the road between massive buildings.

There was no dirt that she could see, or trees or plants. Some of the shops along the street had flowers and plants growing in mortar containers, but otherwise she was surrounded by the strange buildings, more people than she had ever seen before, hundreds of the strange carriages racing by and dozens of large, garish signs above the shops. All the scenery disappeared as the carriage turned right and descended into a large cave underneath one of the mortar buildings. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as she was reminded of her dark, damp basement and wondered, for a bewildering moment, if they were going to take her to see her Godmother who could explain what was going on.

“Alright, out you get,” the younger man said, opening the door next to her after the carriage pulled to a stop in a large underground cave, which was filled with light from thousands of candles. She slowly emerged from the car into the hot, stuffy air of the cave, which smelled faintly like smoke, as her hands held her dress from rubbing against the carriage and getting dirty. More officers were standing in the large space and several of the white carriages with blue stripes and large blue letters were arranged in a neat row. Some of them were larger and bulkier than the others and many of the men were carrying large, black metal sticks in their hands, smoother and finer than she had ever seen metal shaped before.

“Where … where am I?” she asked as the Officer tugged on her arm, an impatient look on his handsome face as apprehension suddenly filled her. The atmosphere in this place was tense and many of the strange men were looking at her, some openly staring and talking to each other. Her light blue dress was far more elaborate and beautiful than the clothing anybody else in this odd place was wearing.

“You're at the police station, we're going to help you, uhh, find your parents. Come on, we're here to help you.” Reluctantly, as if weights were attached to her feet, she followed them through large glass doors that slid apart as they approached. 'They must be magic,' she thought as a din of voices from the room beyond because audible. A long counter ran along one side of the room, with more people who looked like Officers behind a huge piece of perfectly smooth glass. They were mostly sitting at tables, working with pieces of paper or moving their hands over their strange devices. 

“Kelly, Anderson, what's going on?” A large, round man, also dressed in black, was walking towards them with a cup in his hand, his fat, bristly face pinched into an annoyed frown. Cinderella immediately started trembling as he approached them, her eyes scanning the room and the people sitting in chairs against the wall to her right for her Godmother or anybody she might recognize. “Who's this?”

“We found her in Times Square, she seemed confused and didn't know where she was. Her dress, I mean, I figured we should bring her in and get CPS to track down her parents.” The tall, scary-looking man's frown deepened as he looked at her dress, shaking his head for a moment as he sighed.

“Great, more fucking paperwork, just what I need. Uhh, OK, I'll take her from here, come with me.” Her head whipped around to the two Officers as he put a large, thick hand on her back and started pushing her forward. They took a last look at her before turning and walking back through the door.

“Where, umm, where are you taking me?” Keeping the small tremor out of her voice was impossible as he looked back at her, his face softening slightly.

“I'll get one of my Officers to take down your details and we'll get CPS working on finding your parents, OK? Now, uhh, can you tell me your name?”

“Cinderella.” Her stomach twisted into a knot as he gritted his teeth, his face hardening into an angry expression at her response. 

“Look, this is all going to go a lot easier if you just answer our questions and don't fuck around, OK? We're very busy here, it's a Friday night and we got serious crimes to investigate. You're gonna tie up police resources if you give us bullshit answers and I don't have time for that. You are not in trouble and not being charged, we're here to help, OK? So, what is your name?” 'He's going to punish me,' she thought, tears sliding down her cheeks as her shoulders heaved with silent sobs. Loud shouts could be heard down a corridor and two of the Officers were struggling with a tall man with black skin, who was shouting angrily as they held his hands.

“Please don't punish me,” she whimpered as they turned a corner, entering a large room crapped with tables, men dressed in black shirts sitting at them. All the desks had a chair beside them and people were sitting in many of them, leaning towards the Officers as they spoke. Voices filled the air, along with odd ringing sounds and clicking sounds as fingers pressed on black, rectangular devices on the tables. 

“We're not going to punish you, I already said we're not charging you with anything. Look, here is Officer Scarpello, he's going to help you, alright? Just have a seat.” A short, angry-looking man who was missing hair on the top of his head glanced over, his fingers continuing to fly over the device in front of him. “Scarpello, I need a word, OK? Have a seat, we'll take care of you.” The brown-skinned man eye's widened as he looked at her for the first time, his eyes pausing at her chest for a moment as he stood, a dumbfounded look on his face as he followed the large, beefy man.

“Hey sweetheart, nice dress.” Cinderella's eyes widened as she looked at a tall, skinny man dressed in a torn shirt, with what looked like blood staining the left arm. A large beard covered his face as he leaned over, his leering, black eyes focused on her dress. “Those real diamonds?”

“I … I think so, I'm not sure,” she replied as the man called Scarpello walked back, sitting down in his chair heavily as he looked from her to the other guy.

“Hey, mind your own business,” he barked at the man, who gave him an insolent look as he slouched in his chair, his eyes glued on her. “Alright, let's get this over with. So, here's how this is going to work. I'm going to ask you some questions, get you into the system and then we'll take it from there, OK? You're not in any trouble or anything, we're here to help.” He looked at her impatiently as she nodded, praying that he was going to be a kind man. “So, my name is Luigi, I am an Officer with the New York Police Department. What's your first name?”

“My name is Cinderella,” she said in a confident voice as he moved a white thing on his desk that looked like a smooth rock and looked at the screen, his hands poised over the black rectangle in front of him.

“OK, first name Cinderella. Last name?” She blinked at the question as he looked at her, his expression expecting her to say something.

“That's my only name,” she finally said as he turned back and frowned at the screen.

“You don't got a last name?” Cinderella shook her head, not really understanding the question but figuring this was the easiest way to answer it. “OK, we'll move on. Uhh, gender. Are you a male or a female? And yeah, I know, I gotta ask though, this day and age and all that. Guys dressing as girls, girls dressing as guys, people changing their identify and all that, y'know, modern times.”

“I'm a girl.” The question bewildered her, along with the idea that a girl could dress as a boy, or a boy as a girl. Clearly there was a lot about this place she was going to have to learn.

“Good. Age?”

“I just turned 16.” His left hand pressed on a particular part of the rectangle, his other hand pressing at other parts. Small letters covered each of the small squares, which were arranged in a particular pattern. Somehow these black rectangles seemed to be very important.

“Uh-huh. And your address?” She frowned as he looked over, clearly expecting an answer. 

“What's an address?” The word sounded odd as it came out of her mouth, the question causing the Officer to sigh heavily.

“Where do you live? Where is your home? Where did you grow up?” Relief swept through her as she smiled, glad to finally have a question that she could answer.

“Well, I live in my Father's house, with my Mother.” She paused and frowned, her Godmother's voice echoing in her mind. “No, she's my Stepmother and they are my Stepsisters. The house is in the village, near the Royal Palace.”

“Right, and lemme guess, you live in the cellar? And they force you to work and do chores all day long and your Mother is dead and your fairy Godmother gave you the dress and glass slippers and you were on your way to a ball to meet Prince Charming, who you would fall madly in love with, have babies and live in the Palace?” The brown-skinned man laughed as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing at his eyes as he shook his head. 

“I … umm … yes, but how … how did you know?” Another resigned sigh escaped him as he seemed to deflate, giving her an exasperated look. Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized he didn't believe her. 

“OK, fine, it's CPS time, I'll let them deal with you. Umm, I just need to ask something first, are you on drugs? E, LSD, X, heroin, cocaine, uhh, anything like that?” She just stared at him, feeling helpless as she realized there was so much about this world that she didn't understand. He shook his head as he leaned forward, picking up a curved, beige object, which he pressed to his ear, his fingers tapping on a square, raised block which sat on the desk, connected to the curved object with a twisted string. “Yeah, it's Scarpello here, I need someone down here from CPS. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.” It took a few minutes before he seemed to have the answer he wanted and stood up, giving her a defeated look.

“Come with me, OK? You're going to need to wait for a bit, you want something to drink?” She nodded, her mouth feeling dry and tongue feeling thick as she stood up and followed him down a hallway. Other Officers and strangers gave her odd looks, some of them making inappropriate comments as he stopped at two large, coloured boxes, slipped small rounded pieces of metal into them, grabbed a metal cylinder and what looked like a small log from the bottom and led her into a plain room with two chairs on opposite sides of a table, bright candles set inside a piece of glass on the ceiling illuminating the room.

“Am I in trouble?” He shook his head as he set the red cylinder and log into the table, pulling back a chair for her to sit in.

“No, like I said, we're here to help. Someone from CPS, uhh, Child and Protection Services, is going to be here in a few minutes, I think her name is Garganzola. She's going to help you find your parents and somewhere to stay. Here's a coke and a candy bar, she will get you some real food later. Don't worry, we're going to take care of you, just sit tight for a few minutes, OK?” Her lower lip trembled as she realized he was going to leave her and nodded, sitting down in the chair and staring at the strange symbol on the red cylinder. Something popped and hissed as he bent his finger back and slid it over to her. “Sit tight, she'll be here soon, OK?”

“Thank you, Officer,” she said in a small voice as he left the room, closing the door behind her. Slowly she lifted the red cylinder, which was cold, like it had been in ice, up and realized it had liquid inside. It smelled slightly like treacle as she lifted it to her lips, taking a small sip of the brown liquid. She coughed as it fizzled in her mouth, the sweet, sticky drink sliding down her throat, instantly making her feel better. Her heart started racing as, a short time later, a short, thick women opened the door and walked into the room, dumping a thick pile of papers onto the table as she looked at Cinderella with a worn, tired face. 

The End.


End file.
